Hand dryer for bowling lanes



July 11, 1961 G. L. COTA 2,991,560

HAND DRYER FOR BOWLING LANES Filed June 19, 1958 2 Sheets-$1186t 1 July11, 1961 G. L. COTA 2,991,560

HAND DRYER FOR BOWLING LANES Filed June 19, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 G/ennL C'afd United States Patent G 2,991,560 HAND DRYER FOR BOWLING LANESGlenn L. Cota, Clifton, 11]., assignor to Chicago Hardware FoundryCompany, North Chicago, 111., a corporation'of Illinois Filed June 19,1958, Ser. No. 743,042 2 Claims. (Cl. 3487) This invention relates to ahand dryer for bowling lanes and more particularly to a hand dryerdisposed in overlying relationship to a ball return unit for access fromlanes on either side thereof, and controlled by the pressure from theusers hand as supported in drying position upon a switch means for thedryer.

Heretofore, hand dryers of various types have been available, which havegenerally been adapted to aiford continuous operation, or operation fora predetermined time interval upon closing of a switch therefor, sinceclosing the switch has been a separate operation preliminary to theplacing of the hand in position for drying.

The present invention provides a combination dryer and ball return unitwherein the dryer has an inlet on the bottom portion of a housingthereof and an outlet in the top portion of the. housing, as well asblower and heater means adapted to direct a well defined jet stream ofheated air upwardly through the outlet. A manually operable switchhandle is pivotally mounted on the top portion of the housing in spacedrelationship to the outlet such: that when the heel of: a users hand issupported upon the switch handle, a switch for the dyrer is closed,while the palm and fingers of the hand are disposed in overlyingrelationship to the outlet so as to be presented directly in the path ofthe heated air stream. The operation of the switch is such that uponremoval of the hand from the switch, the action of the blower and theheater is terminated. As will be readily apparent, the dryer alsoeffects considerable savings in electrical costs and the like ascompared with the usual type of dryer, which, as stated, requires a.predetermined time of operation so as to free the hands for drying. Thehousing of the dryer of the invention is shaped in a preferablysubstantially spherical configuration such that air entering the inletis directed by thev housing into a substantially cylindrical heatersleevemounted radially on a blower casing in the housing. The inletincludes a. plurality of apertures defined in. a preferably segmentalbottom surface of the housing, which is disposed in parallelrelationship to a corresponding segmental upper surface which defines apreferably circular outlet orifice. The orifice is spaced apredetermined distance from the switch handle on an axis perpendicularto the pivotal axis of the handle such that the ordinary user will beenabled to dry his hands while the switch issimultaneously closedthereby, as stated, and to assist in directing the air stream, a guidesleeve is formed around the orifice having a raised wall portion of theside further from the switch handle. The dryer housing is supported inoverlying relationship to the rack of the ball return unit for readyaccess from either side thereof, the return unit being positionedbetween adjacent lanes, by means which include a bracket plate securedto a ver ticul rear wall of the ball return unit and an arm having anarcuate flange preferably secured to a marginal portion of the lowersegmental surface of the housing in surrounding relationship to the saidinlet orifices. Thus, a stable support for the housing is providedwithout interference with the air inlet. The invention may be employedwith a ball return unit of a T-shaped type adapted to receive balls frombeneath the bowling lane upon a transverse rack portion thereof, withthe bracket mounted on the rack intermediate the ends thereof. However,the dryer may be used in combination with various other types of ballreturn units to provide a convenient means 23291560 Patented July 11,1961 ice of drying the hands after they have been in contact with thecustomary wet towels used by bowlers.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a handdryer for use in bowling lanes and the like which is responsive to thepressure of the operators hand to energize a blower and heater thereof,and responsive to removal of the said pressure to deenergize the blowerand heater.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dryer as describedhaving outlet means adapted to direct a welldefined jet stream againstthe users hand and around the fingers and palm thereof when the heel ofthe hand is disposed upon a switch handle for the dryer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination dryer andball return unit as described in which support means are provided formaintaining the dryer as a suitable level such as to permit the hand ofthe operator to be placed on the switch handle without difiiculty andwhich defines an inlet at the bottom portion of a housing therefor andan outlet at the upper portion thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hand dryer for bowlinglanes in combination with a ball return unit, the support means beingmounted upon the rack of the ball return unit so as to dispose thehousing in overlying relationship to the balls which are stored in therack and in a position which is readily accessible from lanes on eitherside of the ball return unit.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe description proceeds in accordance with the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a ball return unit adapted for use incombination with the dryer of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the dryer of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view of the dryer taken along the lines IIIIIIof FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view of the housing and the motor andheater means thereof taken along the lines IV-IV of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view of the blower and heater meanstaken along the lines V-V of FIG URE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a schematic representation of the circuit for the dryer ofthe invention.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, the hand dryer means of the inventionincludes a hand dryer structure it) having a housing 12 which is mountedin overlying substantially cent-rally located relationship to a ballreturn unit 14 for receiving and storing bowling balls. in theembodiment shown, the ball return unit 14 has a substantially T-shapedconfiguration and is adapted to receive balls from the opposite end ofthe alley after use, through a channel means 16 adapted to introduce theballs into the transverse rack 18 thereof, as, for example, from anunderground return passage or the like. The rack 13 may be of standardconstruction with overlying flanges 20 and 22 and end walls 24 and 26for retaining the balls stored therein and it will be seen that thedryer means it) of the invention is readily accessible from the alleyson either side of the return unit 14, these alleys being generallyindicated by reference numerals 28 and 30. Other varieties of ballreturn units may be used in combination with the dryer 10, however, aswill be understood by those skilled in the art.

Referring now to FIGURES 2 through 6, the housing 12 is maintained inpredetermined spaced relationship above the rack 18 by means of asupport structure 32 which includes a base bracket 34 secured to therear Wall 36 of the rack by suitable fastening means as and an angularlyoffset arm 40. The base 34 is preferably of a relatively wide dimensionto maintain a secure relationship with the wall 36 and means 3% and thearm 49 may define a shoulder 41 and depending flange 42 adapted toengage an extension 43 of the base 34 as shown.

The arm 4% extends at a predetermined angle relative to the verticallyaligned base 34 such as to dispose the housing 12 in predeterminedspaced relationship above the rack 18, and in order to secure thehousing upon the arm, a substantially arcuate flange 44 is formedintegrally at the upper end of the arm substantially in'a horizontalposition as hereinafter further described.

In accordance with the invention, the housing 12 has a preferablyspherical configuration and defines a plurality of inlet apertures 46 ina segmentally formed bottom wall or surface 43 thereof, as best seen inFIGURE 3. Thus, the fiange 44 is adapted to be secured around themarginal edge of the bottom surface 48 in surrounding relationship tothe apertures 46 by means of a plurality of screws or the like so thatthe housing is supported in a very stable manner without interferencewith ingress of air through the apertures.

In the embodiment shown, the housing 12 is formed from hemisphericalsections 52 and 54, as indicated in FIGURE 4, which are fitted togetherby means of a recessed flange 56 in the lower portion 52, although anysuitable means for engaging the upper and lower sections may beemployed. A plurality of bolts 58, or other suitable fastening means arealso provided to insure a tight connection between the hemisphericalsections 52 and The upper hemispherical portion 54 defines a topsegmental surface 6t} which is preferably disposed in substantiallyparallel relationship to the bottom segmental surface 48, and which inturn defines an outlet orifice 62 of preferably circular configurationin offset relationship to the center of the surface 60.

Also in accordance with the invention, a blower 64 is secured within thehousing 12 in depending relationship to the upper surface 60, by meansof a funnel or conduit 66 extending tangentially of the substantiallycylindrical casing 68 of the blower 64. Thus, the upper end of thefunnel 66 may be formed with a horizontally extending flange 76. Inorder to direct a controlled air stream over the users hand, a guidesleeve 72 is mounted on the segmental upper wall 64 in surroundingrelationship to the outlet 62 with its axis preferably offset rela tiveto the axis of the funnel 66, and a plurality of bolts 74 simultaneouslysecure the sleeve 72 and the funnel 66 by means of a flange 76 on thesleeve 72 and the flange 70 on the funnel 66. Also, a protective screen78 is preferably interposed between the sleeve 72 and the wall 60. Thesleeve 72 may have a portion thereof adjacent the outer edge of thesurface 60 extending relatively higher than the portion oppositethereto, to further provide a directional air control.

in order to heat the air in the blower, a cylindrical sleeve fit"; ismounted in substantially radial alignment with the housing 12 on a sideWall 82 of the casing 68, as by fastening means 84, the side wall 82defining an inlet opening 56 within the confines of the sleeve 8i), animpeller being suitably journalled in the casing in accordance with theunderstanding of those skilled in the art. A plurality of resistanceelements 90 are connected between bus bars 92 and 94 within the sleeve82, the heater thus provided being indicated generally by referencenumeral 96, and the impeller 88 is actuated by a motor f8 at the otherside of the casing providing a suitable drive shaft (not shown) for theimpeller 38. The heater 56 and motor 98 are adapted to be energized bycurrent from the extension line 100, the series connection between theheater and motor being selectively opened or closed in accordance with aswitch means 102, as shown schematically in FIGURE 6. The switch 1% ismounted beneath the top segmental wall 60 by a bracket. or the like 164and is provided with plunger means Hi6 extending vertically above thetop wall 60 and biased to circuit breaking position by spring means (notshown) within the switch.

In accordance with the invention, and in order to afford selectiveenergization and deencrgization of the blower and heater, the plunger106 forms one leg of a support tripod for a switch handle 103 for theswitch, the handle M33 having a preferably arcuate configuration andextending around the marginal portions of the upper surface 61 inpredetermined spaced relationship to the outlet 62 and the sleeve 72 ashereinafter further described. The handle 16% is pivotally supported atits 7 extremities by posts 7.19 and 112 fixedly secured thereto andextending beneath the surface 6i so that their lower ends may beretained by suitable cotter pins 114 and 116, springs 1.18 and 120 beingprovided in surrounding relationship to the posts and 112 so as to biasthe ends of the handle 108 into somewhat elevated position above thesurface 68 so that the handle extends substantially parallel to thesurface in the normal position thereof, as supported at its center bythe plunger 106.

The handle is given a configuration such as to readily accommodate theheel of a users hand in supporting relationship thereto above theplunger 106 for the switch and is dimensioned and spaced from the outlet62 as stated so that the palm and fingers of the user are disposed inthe path of the warm air stream emanating from the outlet when the heelof the users hand is thus supported on the switch handle 108. Obviously,however, some variation in the dimensions and position of the handle maybe accommodated within the scope of the invention.

In operation, therefore, when a bowler in either of the lanes 28 or 39desires to dry his hands, he. may rest one of his hands on the handle108, which is disposed at a level which is preferably approximatelywaist high for this purpose but in any event such as to permit the handsto be held easily face down in drying position. The heater and the motor98 will thus be energized and the hands may be dried successively, or bymaintaining one adjacent hand on the dryer with the other hand above it.The air will be inducted through the inlet produced by the orifices 46in the bottom segmental surface 48 of the housing and guided by thespherical wall of the housing into the cylindrical sleeve 86 of theheater 96, the heated air then proceeding upwardly through the funnel 66and the sleeve 72 in a continuous path from the bottom of the housing tothe top thereof. There will thus be no chance of accidental occlusion ofthe inlet, and the operation of the device is exactly timed to the usersrequirements so that when the predetermined pressure required to closethe switch 102 is removed by the removal of the users hand, the heaterand the motor 98 will be deenergized until the handle 1-98 is againpivoted downwardly.

Although I have herein set forth and described my in-' vention withrespect to certain principles and details thereof, it will be understoodby those skilled in the art that these may be varied according to thespirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the hereunto appendedclaims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A. hand dryer comprising a blower having an inlet and an outlet,means supporting said blower including a fiat upper surface receivingthe outlet therethrough, a heater for said blower, a switch connected tosaid support means including a plunger extending through said fiatsurface in spaced relation to said outlet, a handle secured to saidplunger, said handle having an arcuate configuration, spring meanssupporting each outer end of said handle, said plunger being connectedto said handle intermediate the ends thereof and cooperating with saidspring means to bias the handle upwardly, said handle being spaced fromsaid outlet and said plunger being spaced from said outlet suilicientlyto permit said spacing of said handle from said outlet, and circuitmeans connecting said switch to said motor and said heater whereby ahand placed in rest position on said handle will move said plungervertically downwardly to circuit closing position without the need forother eilfort to actuate the switch.

2 A dryer comprising a blower having a casing with a tangentiallyextending funnel, a substantially spherical housing for said blowerhaving a flattened upper surface connected to said funnel in supportingrelationship and an inlet means in register beneath said flattenedsurface, a sleeve on said casing forming an inlet on said blower andextending substantially radially outwardly toward the housing inpredetermined spaced relation thereto, a heating structure secured tosaid sleeve across said inlet formed thereby, a heating structure insaid sleeve and a switch mounted in said housing and having actuatingmeans extending above said upper surface for selectively energizing saidblower and said heating structure, said housing guiding air into saidsleeve when said blower is energized and protecting said blower and saidheating structure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

